NEW YORK, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket Racing, Inc. today announced
that it has been granted an Experimental Exhibition Certificate from the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the first of its next-generation
Rocket Racer that has been selected as the baseline design for the fleet
moving forward. This exhibition type certification marks the first time in
the FAA's history that a production level rocket powered aircraft has been
cleared to perform exhibition flight demonstrations at over 20 venues
across the U.S.
The DKNY Bridenstine Rocket Racer vehicle, built on a Velocity Aircraft
airframe and equipped with liquid oxygen (LOX) & alcohol engines
manufactured by Armadillo Aerospace, was used in test flights to
demonstrate the Rocket Racer's stability, safety, performance and
reliability to the FAA.
"I would like to personally thank the FAA for their assistance through
this process," said Granger Whitelaw, Rocket Racing League Chief Executive
Officer. "This historic moment was built upon the unprecedented cooperation
between our company, Armadillo Aerospace, and the FAA. The League will now
move forward with solidifying venues for its 2009 Exhibition season and be
on course for the official race season in 2010."
The league plans to work with show, airport and local FAA authorities
to select 8 venues from the more than 20 that have been approved by the
FAA. To date the venues approved by the FAA for the Rocket Racers include:
National Championship Air Races and Air Show, Reno, Nevada; Miramar Air
Show, San Diego, California; Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces,
New Mexico; Aviation Nation, Las Vegas, Nevada; Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation
Expo, Sebring, Florida; McGuire Air Force Base Airshow, Wrightstown, New
Jersey; Igor I Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Bridgeport, Connecticut; Sun 'n
Fun, Lakeland, Florida; Oklahoma Spaceport, Burns Flat, Oklahoma; Spirit of
St Louis Airport, St Louis, Missouri; Wings and Wheels Fly-in, Sheboygan,
Wisconsin; Lackland AirFest, San Antonio, Texas; Langley Air Force Base Air
Show, Hampton, Virginia; EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wisconsin; NAS JAX Air
Show, Jacksonville, Florida; Albert Whitted Airport, St Petersburg,
Florida; Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California; Mojave Air &
Space Port, Mojave, California; New York Air Show at Jones Beach,
Farmingdale, New York; Caddo Mills Municipal Airport, Caddo Mills, Texas;
Majors Airport, Greenville, Texas; Grayson County Airport, Sherman/Denison,
Texas; Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, Fort Worth, Texas.
Videos and photographs of the Rocket Racer test flights are available
for download and viewing at the following FTP site:
Domain: rocketracingleague.ipower.com
Username: press_ftp
Password: pressmaterials
NOTE: You will need an FTP Client Program to access site
For more information or to find a schedule of future Rocket Racing
League events, visit http://www.RocketRacingLeague.com.
About The Rocket Racing League
Founded in 2005 by two-time Indianapolis 500 winning team partner
Granger Whitelaw and X PRIZE Chairman and CEO Peter H. Diamandis, MD, the
Rocket Racing League (RRL) is a new entertainment sports league that
combines the exhilaration of racing with the power of rocket engines. To be
held at venues across the country, the Rocket Racing League will feature
multiple races pitting up to 10 Rocket Racers going head to head in a
4-lap, multiple elimination heat format on a 5-mile "Formula One"-like
closed circuit raceway in the sky. For more information on the Rocket
Racing League, please visit http://www.rocketracingleague.com.
About Armadillo Aerospace
Armadillo Aerospace is a leading developer of reusable rocket powered
vehicles. Armadillo focuses on VTVL (vertical takeoff, vertical landing)
suborbital research and passenger flights, with an eye towards eventual
paths to orbit. Founded in 2000, Armadillo has an unequaled experience base
with over one hundred flight tests spread over a dozen different vehicles,
with work done for NASA and the Air Force, and flown vehicles at every
X-Prize Cup event. Armadillo performed the very first flight under the new
FAA/AST experimental permit regulatory regime, and has made over an
additional half dozen permitted flights since then, all fully insured and
observed by on-site AST personnel.
Media Contact
Paul Fusco
Rocket Racing League
(212) 204-9217
paul@rocketracingleague.com
SOURCE Rocket Racing, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.RocketRacingLeague.com
CONTACT:
Paul Fusco, Rocket Racing League,
+1-212-204-9217, paul@rocketracingleague.com
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